Return To The House Of Arc
by NewJesus
Summary: When the time comes for Jaune to celebrate his ancient forefathers victory with his family, he invites his team to come and visit his home (Everyone is talking about the sisters, and I'm just sitting here wishing for an inappropriate grandmother)


It was a long journey

First by airship

Then by train

Then by car

Now, they were driving a small cart through the thick forests surrounding his home

Jaune was holding the steers with Pyrrha at his side, while Nora was in the back rolling around in the hay, with Ren watching her to make sure she would not fall out

Together traversing the narrow path, dividing the trees to their left and right. The green leaves rattling in the wind was the only thing that broke the silence, it was a beautiful day. They had traveled since early morning, and the sun now stood high above them

"It was nice of your parents to invite us to celebrate this... holiday with you"

After having traveled for many hours in silence, Pyrrha tried to lighten the solemn mood. It was not because something had happened; everything just seemed so perfect that words would only spoil it

"It's not a real holiday, it's just this made up thing we have. It's the day the arc family line transcended into a line of heroes"

He spoke the last line with a scent of irony; it made Pyrrha giggle

"Apparently one of my ancestors fought so well in the great war, so henceforward, all Arcs were to be born with bravery and courage in their hearts, and on the day of his greatest victory all of his children are to gather and commemorate this… So not a real thing, but since it is the weekend, and my parents wanted to meet you, I thought that... you might want..."

"Want what Jaune?"

"I thought that you might want to come visit me"

"OF COURSE WE WANT TO COME VISIT YOU!"

An orange haired head appeared behind him from the haystack, followed by two arms that pulled him into a tight hug

"NORA THAT'S ENOUGH, HE CAN'T DRIVE WITH YOU HANGING AROUND HIM"

Ren came around, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder; this earned him a disapproving glare from Pyrrha, as he had put it where she had planned to lay her arm

"We would all like to meet the famous arc family of hunters and warriors"

"Thanks Ren, though nowadays there not that many heroes left…"

Jaune mumbles the last part, as the long line of trees suddenly seemed to dissolve

The forest disappeared as they rode through, transforming into a green valley of fields and plains. Far out in the scenery the vibrant blue color of a lake could be seen, undisturbed, and tranquil. The landscape the romantic poet had searched for since the dawn of time, and in the middle of the scenery, a grey colossus slept. A Castle, older than anything most of them had ever seen before. Arches, stained-glass windows, towers and gardens. An iron gate welcomed them in all its ancient splendor

It was such a timeless scenery, it felt as though the first arc would be there to greet them

As they came closer, the decay started to show

Plants growing all along the old walls, digging into the cracks, as if nature itself wanted to pull it down, swallowing the ugly stones back into the ground, relieving itself from the glory that endured. Though the castle was old, the fields were even older, and the plains might stay forever

"Sorry my dad is not here right now to welcome you, but I can do a good impression of him"

Jaune coughed into his hands for the dramatic effect, and suddenly his voice turned into a deep growl

"it is charming old ruin after all"

None of them responded, still trapped in the overwhelming feeling of awe for something so grand

"Alright, I know it wasn't funny. Now, you can just go right in, I'll just take Charlie here back to the other horses"

Everything that had been in Nora's mind was gone in a second

"HORSES! YOU GOT HORSES! AS IN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE HORSE! AS IN YOU MIGHT GOT PONIES!"

Ren tried his best to hold Nora back from tackling Jaune down with her inquiries

"Su-sure, Victoria had a colt a few months ago, but he is still very young…"

"Then it is settled. Jaune! Me and Ren are going to take Charlie back to the other horses, and the pony, and then we are going to pet him and hug him and stroke his beautiful flowing mane"

"Now Nora that is something I will seriously warn you against do... She is already gone, isn't she?"

Pyrrha looked back in the stack to see that both Ren and Nora had abandoned it

A trail of Hay lead to the back of the Castle

"Does she even know how ponies react to being petted? Does she even know where the stable are?"

"Jaune I'm sure she'll be fine"

"She didn't even bring old Charlie with her!"

"Jaune she's got Ren, I'm sure he'll take care of her

"Yeah, well, we are here now anyway, old Charlie will just have to wait a bit before going back to the pen. Come I would like you to meet my family"

* * *

><p>Jaune held the door for her, once again the distinct feeling of awe shock through her as she stood in the hallway<p>

A room as big as the great ballroom of beacon had appeared before her. The dark wooden floor creaked under her as she moved into its sculptured inner; she turned to face the giant staircase inviting her up with its marble banisters and wide mahogany steps. As if it wanted to lead her to plateaus above her, and from there more stairs appeared going further up, higher and higher to places she could not even she.

Doors of all shapes and sizes surrounded them on the ground floor, some big some small, some decorated some secret, and everywhere above them, a montage on the green colored walls, portraits hang

Boys and Girls with blue eyes and blonde hair. Knights in golden armor leaning against the crest of the noble family. Fair Maidens in golden cornfields, resting around blue lakes. Red hair, or brown eyes was present on some of the family pictures, but the resulting children all turned out the same

"MOM, I'M HOME"

Jaune's announcement was followed by a loud slam, as the door rammed back into its frame, frightening Pyrrha enough to make her gasp

"You're early my boy, your father and your sisters will still be at the market, gathering the last things for the feast

Pyrrha looked up to see where the sweet voice that greeted them came from, and noticed a figure holding a candelabrum had appeared on the top of the stairway

She was old, but still beautiful, her long hair falling loosely around her head, the color had slightly faded, but that along with the old fashioned dress only added to her elegant graze

"Hello, uhm... Miss. Arc"

"Hello my dear. I am afraid I cannot properly introduce myself right now. I am still quite busy preparing our rooms at the movement, but Jaune why don't you take the time to say hello to granny, she has missed you, ever since you left

Jaune squirmed by these words, first looking at Pyrrha, then back at his mother

"Mom, I'm not sure that is such a good idea-"

"WHO SAID MY NAME?"

A crooked old woman appeared from behind one of the not so visible doors

"I'M ONLY GOING BLIND; I CAN STILL HEAR EVERY BLOODY THING THAT GOES ON IN THIS HOUSE!"

"Hello granny…"

Jaune could feel his mouth go drier and drier by each syllabus he uttered

"WHAT DID YOU SAY MY BOY?"

"I SAID HELLO GRANNY!"

"THERES NO REASON TO SHOUT BOY, I'M STANDING RIGHT HERE!"

...

"Well, I'm sure granny's very interested in all the things happening in Vale"

"NO I'M NOT"

"So I'm going to go back to work, meanwhile you can tell her all about your life at Beacon"

Jaune looked as nervous as he had been on initiation day

The old women came closer, the clear Sapphires in a sea of wrinkles spying over Jaune's shoulders, peering into the person behind him

"Who's that?"

Relived to find that his granny had found something else to focus her energy on, he began to introduce in his usual confident tone

"This is Pyrrha Nikos, she is my partner and-"

"She is your partner?"

The old woman pulled Jaune down to her level, taking his collar in a death grip. He could see a burning in her old eyes; he knew his next answer would come to decide his fate

"IS SHE PREGNANT YET?"

"..."

Jaune hanged in her grip, dumbstruck; the question had hit him like a mallet against a walnut, and the tiny shell exploded in his brain

Pyrrha could not believe what she just had heard, so she chose not to, and instead found a nearby picture of an old gray-haired man sitting on a stump a lot more interesting than it really was

"YOU KNOW THE MEN OF THE ARC FAMILY HAVE A DUTY THAT GOES ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE!"

"GRANNY IT IS NOT LIKE THAT, WE ARE NOT EVEN MARRIED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"

"YOU'RE NOT? THANK DUST FOR THAT!"

"WHAT?"

"I MEAN LOOK AT THAT LEAN BODY, AND THOSE SKINNY LEGS. HER BODY WILL JUST GIVE UP ON HER AFTER THE FOURTH CHILD!"

"GRANNY SHE IS THE MINSTRAL CHAMPION, HER PHYSIQUE IS PER-"

"A WHAT? A MINSTRAL CHAMPION? IT IS A GOOD THING YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN HER IN ANY ROMANTIC WAY WHATSOEVER! IF SHE IS GOING TO COMPEED IN THOSE NEWFANGLED BAKING COMPETITIONS, THEN HOW IS SHE GOING TO MAKE TIME TO RAISE ALL THE CHILDREN?"

Jaune was lost, looking between his old granny and Pyrrha... There must have found something very interesting on that stump his old grandfather was so fond of

"I'm sorry, we left Charlie alone outside. We better get him back to the stables"

"WHAT MY BOY? I CANT HEAR YOU!"

Jaune looked at his feet before deciding just not to say anything; he grabbed Pyrrha by her wrist signaling towards the door

They left quickly and in silence

Charlie turned to turn them looking at them with his big sad eyes. Booth Jaune and Pyrrha interoperated this as great disappointment for being left alone. Jaune tried to make up for it by patting its head, but he just shook it. Jaune took the steers and began to walk away; he looked at Pyrrha that tried to hide her smile. Inspired by the great tales of chivalry he was told as a kid; he decided that the courteous thing to do was to let her ride Charlie while he guided them back to the pen. She giggled as he took her up, but the silence was still there

The meeting with Jaune's granny had draped them in a mist of awkwardness so thick they could not even look at each other for more than a second

"I'm sorry"

He wanted her to know the words of his granny did not mean anything. That it was not because he did not like her, but he was not going to have three, or four or seven children for that matter, as least not for now, and two would be enough for him, and what the hell was he thinking?

"Granny's old, she thinks we still live the same way they did a hundred years ago, and even then, I think she would have been regarded as old fashioned"

"It doesn't matter Jaune, your grandmother is a wonderful character, trust me I, I know how old people can be"

"Yeah... and uhm... she is not really my grandmother as such, more of an old aunt, perhaps a great-aunt, or something..."

"So she's not your mother's mother, but more like her older sister?"

"Well I mean, she might be from my mother's side, she could also be from my father side, were not that sure"

"But you are related to her"

"Well, yeah, obviously, she has the blue eyes, and the long hair, so, yeah, maybe...?"

Pyrrha laughed, she did not want to, but she could not stop herself. Jaune looked up at her smile, and began laughing himself

* * *

><p>The Stables where in fact located behind the main building. A big wooden structure smelling of hay<p>

"There's not as many horses as there used to be in the glory days. We lost Beatrice last year, but then again, we got Jacob earlier this summer..."

The thought of the colt made Jaune forget the episode with his granny, and early problem had resurfaced in his mind with a big red screaming alarm attached to it

"I hope Nora's all right"

He swiftly opened the gate, but the loud cry that meet them, told them it was already too late

"AAAAAAH IT BIT ME REN! HE BIT ME! IT BIT MY LEG! HOW COULD HE DO IT TO ME! HE BIT MY LEG"

Nora jumped into Ren's arms, tears streaming down her face, and a red bite-mark on her leg. A loud and angry neigh came from a small horse in the pen next to her, as it yanked its head away

Ren tried to comfort her, but could not keep make the tears stop. She had been betrayed by that one animal she have always adored ever since childhood

"It did not want to be petted! It did not want to be hugged! It did not want me to stroke its beautiful mane"

Nora hulked as Jaune and Pyrrha came to support her

Jaune found the first aid kit, while Ren carefully placed her on a bench in the back of the room

"He didn't want to be my friend, in fact he HATES ME!"

"He doesn't hate you Nora"

Jaune was carefully applying the bandage as he spoke

"He is still very young, and the world is new and scary to him. He just want to be with his mother, and slowly learn about the stuff that is happen outside. I know you mean well, but when someone is suddenly jumping around him, he gets scared"

"Is that true Ren"

She held out her arm, while looking at Ren. Her eyes still wet with tears

"Horses are known to bite when they get scared"

He took her hand, and gave it a familiar squeeze. He gave her a smile, in hope she would return it, and she did

Nora's Eyes quickly dried up, and her bright smile came back. Ecstatic as ever she jumped up from the bench, but quickly regretted this decision, as she landed on the wrong leg

"Argh Ren my leg hurts a lot more now, so you have to carry me the whole way back" and so he did, Nora's arm wrapped tight around him the whole way

* * *

><p>Upon returning to the hall, they were all greeted by Jaune's mom<p>

"Hello children. Welcome to the house of Arc, you have all traveled a long way, and the celebrations will already start this evening...why don't I take you to your rooms so you can unpack, and relax till it begins"

"Thanks mom, that sounds great"

"Now, I have prepared a room for Nora and Ren in the west wing, so if you would come along, it is just up a few stairs"

"YEAH Ren, our first sleepover in a real castle, we might even see a ghost. Jaune was anyone ever murdered in the west wing? Do you know if it is haunted?

With thousands of similar questions concerning ghosts and hauntings, Ren bore Nora up the stairs and disappeared after Jaunes Mom

Pyrrha looked at Jaune; it had certainly been an unusual day. She wondered why such a big place did not have a room they all could sleep in, but perhaps they just didn't, and it would just be plain rude to ask after they had gone through so much for making them comfortable

Meanwhile in Jaune's head he was wondering about the exactly same thing, because he knew they had many empty rooms they easily all could sleep in together, but perhaps the heating had broken again, or perhaps his mother wanted him to have his old room, and that is why she split them up

"WHY DON'T YOU MAKE SOME KIDS WITH HER?"

Pyrrha let a cry in shock. She jumped a couple of meters up in the air, before landing in Jaune's arms. His granny had once again sneaked up on them, and without any sign of shame she had blurted out the question

"W-who?"

Jaune stammered fearing another embarrassing rant

"THE PINK ONE OF COURSE, DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T SNEAK A PEEK AT THOSE AMAZING HIPS, IT IS RARE TO SEE THEM SO FERTILE ON A PERSON SO YOUNG!"

"I-I- don't think Ren will approve of me getting close to Nora in that manner"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SILLY BOY; GIRLS CAN'T BE THAT CLOSE TO EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY, YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE YOUR INTENTIONS CLEAR!"

"You know, Ren is not a girl"

"THEN WHY IS SHE WEARING A DRESS"

"It's not a dress"

"WHATEVER YOU SAY MY BOY, JUST AS LONG YOU DON'T END UP WITH HER, SHE HAS THE FLATTEST CHEST I'VE EVER SEEN. HOW IS SHE EVER GOING TO BREASTFEED ANYTHING, YOU SHOULD THINK SHE WAS A BOY!"

A small cough coming from somewhere above, announced that Jaune's mom had returned, and was waiting for them

"Jaune, Pyrrha, your room is ready, please follow me"

Glad once again to get away from his Granny Jaune quickly sat down Pyrrha. Still in the shock from being in the middle of a conversation, she never thought she was going to hear. She staggered a bit, before laying an arm on Jaune's shoulder for balance

Jaune sighed...

He knew this would happen; he knew he should have warned her. Why does this always happen to me… at least it will all be better when dad arrives

He took her hand, and led her up the stairs

* * *

><p>Pyrrha wandered with her hand squeezed tightly around Jaune's. It was not in the romantic fashion as such, though it was nice being close to him, nor was it not because she was still in shock after the second meeting with his "granny" But as they started to move into the castle, the sunlight ceased to follow with them. Jaune's mom was still holding the candelabrum, but the candles almost completely failed to illuminate the murky halls. To be honest, the somber glow they gave only added to the creepy feeling of the long corridors. Of course, she was not "scared" or anything, perhaps just a bit uneasy by the feeling of this new place, though looking at Jaune stride through his old home was making her relax a little. He grew up in these halls, he them all, he spend his childhood here playing with his sisters. He did not feel any of the emotions going through her, and it made her feel at least a bit safer<p>

Suddenly, Jaune's mom stopped abruptly in front of a big door

Pyrrha shrieked in surprise, jumping into Jaune's arms again

"Don't worry Pyrrha, were here now... Wherever this is, hey mom I thought I was going to sleep in my own room?"

"Well dear, I thought a big strong hunter as you deserves a bigger room, so I took the liberty to pack some of your old stuff away, and move the rest in here"

She opened the door and revealed a bright room, furnished with all the stuff he had always associated with the old times: sofas, drawers, writing desks made from dark wood with elegant carvings along the side. Everything stood in bright light, glimmering through large windows, a light so bright that the contrast to the corridors almost made them blind

Pyrrha slowly went in, enchanted by the clear view of the lake and the beginning of the setting sun

"Mom?..."

"It is a bit old fashioned, but cozy"

"Mom!"

"I admit we have yet to implement the heating system, but the room has its own fireplace, and there is plenty of wood to keep you both warm"

"Mom it's not that, but-"

"And the old walls are quite solid in these parts of the house, so the heat will be isolated, making sure you sleep nice and warm through the nights"

"Yes mom that is all very well, but why is there only ONE double bed in this room"

"Well as I said the walls are quite solid..."

"Yes mom-"

"I mean, we are properly not going to be able to hear anything coming from this room, so if you want to discuss things… without us knowing-"

"Thank you, thank you mom, thank-"

"Or do anything at all; we probably won't be able to hear even the tiniest of giggles or other noise-"

"Mom could you please just go!"

"All right, I'll leave you two alone, so you can start -Unpacking-"

"Once again, thanks mom"

"You're welcome son; dinner is served at 19:00 so you can just take your time, -unpacking-"

With that, she left Jaune to console Pyrrha

Pyrrha felt weird. She could not understand why she kind of liked all of this


End file.
